West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-07-22
HARPER'S FERRY LETTER.
HARPER's FERRY, July Is.

so important to our interests. To-
day will be decided probably the
second injunction case involving the
right of Slavery d Co, to utilize the
waters-ot the Shenandoah for turn
ing the machinery of their proposed
pulp-mill, and it is safe to say that
on the decision depends the future OF
this place. Should the case go very
much against the new Company, we
can hardly expect that they will
tarry long with us or that other
capitalists will venture to invest
their money among us to reap har-
vest of law suits, the consequence
not of fachOus opposition to strang-
ers, but of the peculiar compleXity
of our titles. 1t is hard for us to
treat of this case without the danger
of our being considered partisan,
which we certainly are not, for all
the parties TO the suit are honorable
men and, as far as we know, friendly
to us, but there can be no harm in
our expressing the wish that every
one may be awarded what is justly
his and that the difficulty may be
settled in such a way as will not in
terfere with the public interests.
The little peninsula occupied by
Harper's Ferry and Bolivar is owned
in narrow strips under various titles
and patents, and there appears to be
maze of conflicting claims enough
to puzzle the traditional Philadel-
phia lawyer. Even the Chesapeake
d Ohio Canal authorities, we are in
formed, have undertaken to dictate
how much water will be allowed from
the Potomac for manufacturing pur-
poses on this side of the river, and
Slavery & Co, may be thus frustrated
in their intention to establish works
on the site of the old Musket Fac
tory. We have often heard that
IMAM proposes, but God disposes,
and we always piOusly believed IN
the good old proverb, but it would
appear as if we must reverse it at
Harper's Ferry and let mans miSun-
derstandings "dispose" to our detri-
ment of what Nature and Nature S
God proposed for our benefit. We
are not lawyer enough to Judge be
tween the various claims set up here.
The courts are, or nj least ought to
be. all-sufIicient to decide these mat
tiers, but any fool can see that be-
nign Providence has been singularly
lavish of natural advantages to this
neighbOrhood and that for some
cause it appears to be impossible for
us to reap the benefit of Heavens
bounty.
On Saturday last we had the plea
sure Of shaking hands with the Hon.
f. Willis Wilson, Governor of our
State, who was here last week on 4
visit to his relatives. We very sell
dom agree with Governor Wilson'S
politics, but we never cease to adj
mire the energy and force of charac
ter that have placed this young man
in his present position and the hon
esty of purpose which makes him
respected by the most inveterate of
his political opponents. We con
graduate the venerable mother,
whose gray hairs derive additional
honors from so distinguished a son,
and well may she claim high place
in the roll Of American matronS who
have formed the characters that IL
lustrate our history.
On Saturday last the Catholic
communities of the Valley, from
Winchester to StauntOn, united in 4
grand picnic excursion to Island
Park. We have never seen 4 finer
looking body of stalwart men and
fair women than these excursion
lists. and never have we had here q
more orderly gathering. They were
in charge of the Rev. Father Reilly,
the highly respected and much be
loved pastor of the Catholic Church
mt Winchester. This gentleman was
at one time stationed here, and there
were no bounds to his popularity
among all classes and creeds at the
place. His learning and piety are
proverbial, and he is, moreover, a
man Of big heart and most generous
impulses.
In mythology we read of an enter
prising youth who ventured to drive
the fiery steedS of PhGbus Apollo
and came near reducing our globe to
smoke and cinders. We believe he
has taken the same venture this
summer, for nothing in OUR memory
at least can equal the torrid fervor
of the sun-rays that have been beat
inc on US with pitiless pertinaclty,
day after day, for more than
month. On last Saturday, about )
D. m. we heard the mutterings OF the
long-wished-for thunder gust, but 1t
was only mockery, for about rain
enough fell to add to our misery the
aggravation of steam. Moreover,
the pest of flies is something terri
bic this summer. The air is black
with them. and around OUR shanty,
at least, they are about the size of
young robins, and they bite with the
vigor and spitefulness of an angry
terrier. We are too polite to wear
hat in the house and, in conse-
ouance % We write. orr left hand is